The Working Boys Of New York
by Banisters
Summary: We all love the newsies, but what about the other child laborers? What is their story?
1. Intro

Prologue:

Okay, you know how Jack, David, and all the other newsies go around passing out their newspapers to the other child laborers? Well, I decided to make a story about the factory boys and the other workers. Now, I'm doing one of those character request things. So leave a review/e-mail me with info about your character, and I'll use him/her in my story. Here's an example (this is my character; don't use him OR Curtain Call).

**Name**_ (Your character's first name/full name):_ Jeff Roberts

**Nickname**_(The name that people call them)_: Pantomime.

**Reason behind nickname** _(Why is your character called that?)_: Rarely speaks, used to work as part of a stage crew.

**Age**_(How old is your character?)_: 11

**Gender**_(Boy or girl?):_ Boy

**Job**_( Does your character work? What is his/her job?)_: Factory boy.

**Appearance**_(What does your character look like?):_ Short, looks a bit like Les, but with blonde hair.

**Attitude/Personality**_(How does your character behave?):_ VERY shy but intelligent. Slightly annoying.

**Family**_(Does your character have a family?):_ Curtain Call (brother).

**Relationship**_(Is your character dating anyone? Who is it? Note that it can be a newsie): _Nope.

**Anything else**: Nope.


	2. The Steelers

**Disclaimer: Disney owns all the characters from Newsies. All the other characters are mine, except for the ones mentioned at the end of the chapter. **

"I quit!"

Hull-Shore's voice rang throughout the factory, causing the other boys to pause. They looked up, happy for an excuse to rest their blistered and singed hands.

"Ya can't quit, Hull!"

The boys flinched and got back to work, pounding pieces of steel. Malamute's tone was potent, like it usually was, but angry and impatient. But then again, that was pretty familiar, too.

"I can't take this job anymore, Mal!"

"Hull, come on! Ya can't give up like that!"

Hull-Shore stood up and thrust his chest forward, trying to seem bigger. Still, Hull's appearance didn't change: he was still lean and scrawny. Nothing compared to the broad shouldered, tall, Canadian in front of him. Malamute's eyes briefly flickered with slight humor, but after a moment continued radiating in irritation.

"Ya can't go back to Massachusetts, boy." Malamute breathed. His voice wasn't mad, but empathic. "Ya can't go back…"

"I know that! I could stay here and help fisherman like I used to!" Hull bleated.

"We don't fish here in New York, Hull."

Hull looked down at his boots as a feeling of sharp defeat was injected through his body. Reality, Malamute had once told him, was like a rabid animal. Foaming at the mouth and biting the most brittle part of your body when you weren't ready.

"Hey…" Malamute soothed. "It's alright…"

He tilted up Hull's chin with his thumb and smiled at him. It was an old joke they shared. Hull refused to look at him and drove his head back down.

"Don't turn this into a queer moment…" Hull said with a smirk.

"Youse the queer!" Malamute laughed as he punched his blonde friend's shoulder.

"Youse both queers!" interjected Pantomime. Hull-Shore and Malamute whirled around, gawking at the almost always silent boy. Ever since his brother Curtain Call had been thrown in the refuge, Pantomime stopped talking. Realizing that he spoke, Pantomime blushed and ran out of the factory. Malamute glanced at the exit, trying to catch a glimpse of the sun. It was bright yellow and the sky was a pure blue.

"It's noon, come on, break starts in a minute anyways!"

Hull snickered and followed Malamute and Pantomime outside. All three of them went into a coughing fit when the clean air filled their lungs. Their bodies had adapted to breathing in smoke and dust from the factory. Although, New York air still wasn't _that _clean.

"Wait up!" a voice from behind called. Hull smiled as Marbles ran out the door, panting in fury. "Ya left without me!" she growled.

"Sorry, it ain't our fault if ya too busy playing with marbles to hear us leave!" Malamute teased.

"Aw, shut up, I least I don't go around playin' with puppies!" Marbles snapped.

"Sled dogs, Jackie! Not puppies, sled dogs! They're like wolves, and they'll tear ya to pieces!" Malamute did a snarling imitation and grabbed Marbles.

"Get off me, ya stupid dog!"

Malamute shook his head and mouthed 'Can't take a joke' to Pantomime. The boy grinned. Pantomime loved hearing how Malamute spent 7 of his 17 years in Canada, helping to train sled dogs. In general, he just liked dogs, because they were so expressive without making a sound. Like him.

"Youse all dogs!" chuckled Jack as he approached the factory workers.

"JACK!" Pantomime shouted as he flung himself into Jack's arms. When Curtain Call was in jail, he'd met Jack and made him promise to take care of his younger brother.

"Hiya, kid!" Jack greeted as he put Pantomime back on the ground. "Are ya guys ready? We're heading over to Brooklyn today. It's Spot's birthday..." Jack's eyes shifted over to Hull, waiting for his expected reply.

"Will we go swimming?" he asked.

**Alright, so here's chapter one. I'd like to thank NewYorkQueen for letting me use her character Marbles in my story. I'll use all the others in the next chapters, so be patient, and send in more characters.  
**


	3. Dissin At The Docks

"Happy Birthday, Spot!" Malamute yelled when he and the others reached the dock. Spot smirked and went over to spit-shake, but jammed his hand in his pocket when he saw how many people showed up.

"Whatsamatta, can't even celebrate your own birthday, Conlon?" Jack joked.

"He's just upset because he's leaving behind the good ole' days of single digit numbers! How old are ya? Ten?" Specs taunted.

"Real funny, Specs. I wouldn't mind bein' ten, ya know why?"

"Why?"

"Cuz then I could sleep with your girl!"

The newsies and steelers erupted into a shout of "oooooohs!". Specs frowned and protectively placed his arm around Song Boid, his girlfriend.

"Ya know, she's more mature than ya anyways…"

"Emotionally _and physically_!" interrupted Mush. Dutchy, Boid's brother, and Specs glared at him. His wide smile faded. Jack rolled his eyes.

"Come on, guys! Remember why we're here: to celebrate Spot's birthday so he don't kill us!"

Within a few minutes the tension was gone from the crowd and everyone was laughing…Except for Spot. He simply stood and stared at his friends from a distance.

"Ya alright?"

Spot turned to face Whistler.

"I'm okay…"

"Ya like her, don't ya?"

"Who, Boid? She's nice and all…but…"

"Got your eyes on another?"

Spot nodded.

"Her…" he said, shifting his gaze towards Aqua.

"Talk to her…"

"She's with Skittery…Although…"

Whistler cocked his head in curiosity.

"I've been hearin' things, Whistler. He's with two other girls…"

Whistler expressed his amazement with a long whistle.

"I ain't kiddin…Some dame named Echo…"

"Aw, Spot, don't tell her!"

"I won't, I won't…Not yet…"

Spot raised his eyebrows and Whistler mimicked him.

"Good luck…"

Spot sighed and approached Aqua. He sat next to her on the dock, placing his hand on hers. To his surprise, she ripped her hand away.

"Don't touch me…" she snarled. There was something fierce in her voice that even Spot feared.

"So uh…Ya like the docks?"

"Hate 'em…"

"Huh?"

"I hate water…"

"Oh…Wanna take a swim?"

Aqua smiled and shook her head at him, pitifully, and yet radiating in a caustic glow.

"Sure…In a moment…I gotta do something first…"

"What's that?"

She stood up and placed her hands on Spot's shoulders. The simple touch sent a sensual buzz through Spot's body.

"This!"

Spot found himself falling over the edge of the dock and hitting the water headfirst. His leg thumped against something, a body: Hull-Shore. Spot surfaced and sputtered, then felt a huge amount of pressure from beneath him as Hull rose. As the water drained from his ears, he could hear laughing, as well as an angry "WHAT THE HELL!" from Hull.

"Happy Birthday, Spot Conlon!" Aqua shouted dryly.

"Oh yeah…She likes me al-" Spot bit his tongue as Skittery appeared at Aqua's side. She stopped laughing and leaned over to kiss him. Spot shut his eyes.

"Aw shit."

"At least ya didn't get sat on," muttered Hull-Shore irritably.

"Shut up!"

"Make me!"

"I will!"

Spot lunged at Hull, attempting to dunk him, but he dipped under water just in time, managing to yank Spot down with him. The two kicked and pulled at each other until their lungs burned.

"Told ya I'd make ya shut up!" Spot panted. Hull only panted back at him in return.

"Come're Spot!" Jack called abruptly.

"Just like a dog…" Hull insulted under his breath.

"Getta outta the water, Hull!" Malamute ordered.

Spot grinned.

"Just like a kid…"

"At least I'm taller than a kid…"

"Stop fighting and come're!" shouted Marbles.

"I'll soak ya…"Spot threatened.

"I'm already wet," Hull said, confused at the warning.

"Massachusetts boy...They didn't teach ya how to talk in Hull?"

"Nah, but they taught me how to fight!"

"GET OUT OF THE WATER!"


	4. Corruption and Conflict: Oh my

"What the fuck?" Spot screamed at the shouting people on the dock. Spot hated being interrupted during a fight. Malamute and Jack pointed their thumbs to a police officer behind them.

"Youse screwed now!" Hull said with a smirk.

"Fuck…"

Hull smiled and swam over to the dock. Spot treaded miserably in the water, refusing to go on land. Surprisingly, Hull was handcuffed when he pulled himself up. Spot laughed.

"I'm screwed?"

Malamute and the steelers stared vacantly at the cop.

"Excuse me, officer, why are ya arresting him?" Marbles asked.

"Assault charges…" he growled.

"Assaut? Hull don't get into fights that often, sir," Racetrack defended.

"Yeah, I think youse lookin' for Mr. Spot Conlon over there…" Hull mumbled.

"Is your name Caleb, son?" the cop inquired.

"Who wants to know?"

"The law."

"Then no, my name ain't Caleb…"

"Don't be a smart ass!" Jack hissed as everyone laughed at Hull's response.

"Alright, you're under arrest, kid."

Spot kicked over to the docks' ladder and climbed up.

"Officer, I've seen this kid get into fights. Once he even beat up an old lady and stole food from her…" Spot said innocently.

"What! Liar! I'll kill ya, ya bastard!" Hull screamed.

Malamute and Jack shook their heads. The cop's eyes widened.

"Not the smartest thing to say, Shore…" Malamute whispered.

"But that ain't all, sir!" Spot continue. "See, my friends call Caleb here Hull-Shore. Truth is, he's more like a Hull-_Whore_."

"WHAT!"

"Please explain, son," the cop ordered Spot.

"Well, yeah, he's been getting' girls to pay him-"

"LIAR!"

"-To pay him for sex, sir. I don't see why he just don't give 'em a damn good time, so they come back again, ya know? He makes them pay for it. Pretty dirty and wrong, don't ya agree?"

"I've never done that!"

"And it ain't just girls, either. Hull-Whore here fucks guys too. He's a faggo-"

Hull lunged at Spot and tackled him to the ground. He brought his handcuffs down to Spot's throat, the metal compressing his windpipe. Spot kicked him in the stomach and scrambled up.

"Look at that queer, can't control his libido…"

"I'LL KILL YA!"

"That's it son, come on!" the officer yelled as he grabbed Hull and walked away. The newsies and steelers protested loudly as Hull was taken away.

"This doesn't make sense! Ya can't come out here and throw him in jail!" Kid Blink bellowed.

"Hull doesn't do that! He's never even had sex!" Malamute shouted. Hull threw a wry look at Malamute and mouthed 'Tell it to the world, husky'.

"He never did that!" yelled Aqua. "Spot's lying!"

Although Whistler disproved of what Spot was doing, he slapped a hand over Aqua's mouth. Skittery saw this and kicked Whistler's shin.

"Let go of her!" he commanded. Whistler ignored him, but Aqua elbowed him in the chest. Skittery threw a punch at Whistler, who dodged it.

"Quit it!" Jack barked. He pulled Skittery away from Whistler and began scolding him.

"What are ya doing? We need allies, Skitts! Don't soak 'em!"

"He touched my girl…"

"He didn't touch me…" Echo said suddenly.

"Aw shit…" Skittery murmured. Whistler grinned. At least Spot hadn't lied about Skittery's affair.

"Youse not his girl, stay outta this…" Aqua said.

"I am!"

"Skittery!" Aqua growled.

"Uh…"

"This is the best birthday ever…" Spot said to himself.

Pantomime turned around, looking glossy eyed.

"How could ya, Spot? Why'd ya do that to my friend?"

"He did it to himself, kid. That's what happened when ya break the law…"

"But he didn't! Ya did this to Curtain Call too!"

A pang of guilt stabbed Spot. It was true; Pantomime's brother _was_ in jail because Spot had put him there.

**Agh! Sorry for the crappy chapter, everyone! I've been busy so this was kinda rushed, plus I had to do the 618 word limit! I didn't use much of your characters in this chapter, mainly because it was just about Hull and Spot. Anyways, I'll use your characters in the next chapter, I promise. **


End file.
